Safe-deposit-box lock



Dec. 29, 1935. 1,567,135

J. G. GREGORY SAFE DEPOSIT BOX LOCK Filed April 25 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29, 1925. 1,567,135

- J. G. GREGORY SAFE DEPOSIT BOX LOCK Filed April 25 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

tlltt't'tffi STATES PATENT @FrF'lCEi JAMES G. GREGORY, OF QUINCY, FLORIDA.

SAFE-DEPOSIT-BOX LOCK.

Application filed April 25, 1925. Serial No. 25,859.

T 0 all 107mm if 'nw concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES G. GREGORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county oi Gadsden and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe-Deposit-Box Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to safe deposit boxes, as they may be termed, and particularly to safe deposit boxes designed to be disposed in Pullman sleeping cars and designed to contain jewelry and other valuables ot a passenger and designed to be locked by the passenger.

Gne of the objects of this invention is to provide a safe deposit box of this character which is locked by means of a permutation lock, and to provide a lock of this character which requires, in order to open the box, that a certain member shall be shifted into appropriate position with relation to a plurality of numerals or preferably letters of the alphabet, any number of letters being adapted to be used from A to Z and, if one chose, either the entire alphabet or one letter of the alphabet.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of this character which is so constructed that though the ion is locked by the passenger, yetifithepassenger should by any chance forget the combination, it is possible for the conductor or some other person in authority to open the boX by means of a 1naster key.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism of this character in which the box may be locked by a plurality of latches, preferably twenty-six in number, to correspond with the letters of the alphabet, each of these latches being operated by means ot a wheel having thereon a cam-like protuberance, there being means for each wheel whereby it may be given a step by step motion, and further to provide a member engageable with each of these wheel setting means and movable longitudinally into position of successive engagement with each one of these setting devices, this member in turn being operated by means of a rotative rompanying drawings, wherein F lgure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the side wall of a Pullman car or any other apartment showing my safe deposit drawer and the locking mechanism therefor Figure 2 Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the wall with my safe deposit drawer therein Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the mech anism shown in Figure 41, the slide and rack being in section;

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the tubular shaft and the actuator;

Figure 7 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the lock operating disks, its correspending ratchet, and a guide disk attached to the ratchet;

Figure 8 is an elevation partly in section 8 of one of the pawls;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-0 ot Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the disks 1? showing the shaft- 40 whereby the disks may be shifted to an inoperative position;

Figure 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 6;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the extremity of the operating memon her 32.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that my safe deposit box which. as before rcinarked, is adapted to be disposed in the wall of a Pullman car, preferably consisu, of a sliding drawer, designated generally 10 operating within a casing 11. This casing 11 extends down below the sliding drawer to provide a compartment 12 within which the operating mechanism is disposed, the front of this compartment being closed by a plate 13 having a longitudinally extendis a section on the line 22 of fil ing slot 141. Above this slot the plate is preferably lettered with the letters of the alpha bet from A to Z, and, as shown, the drawer may be of any suitable construction and is provided with a handle whereby it may be operated. The drawer slides on suitable guides and the bottom of the drawer is provided with a transverse slot with which one or more of the locking devices now to be described engage. When these locking devices are engaged with this slot it is impossib'le to open the drawer and this is only possible when one or more locking devices which have been placed in engagement with the drawer are shifted out of such engagement.

Passing transversely through the compartment 13 andvparallel to the front of the drawer is a shaft 16 upon which are mount ed a plurality of disks or wheels 17, each formed with a plurality, as for instance sis, protuberant lugs 18. Associated with each of the disksor wheels 17 is a ratchet wheel 19, this ratchet wheel having on it twelve ratchet teeth if the disk 17 has on it six protuberant lugs 18. These wheels are properly spaced apart in any suitable manner upon the shaft 16 and are not movable longitudinally upon this shaft. Coacting with the ratchet wheels 19 are a plurality of longitudinally shiftable pawls 20, each pawl having a shank formed at its forward end with a downwardly extending bill or tooth 21 engageable with the teeth I on the ratchet wheel. This bill or hook may be pivoted or otherwise attached to the shank 2O and the rear end of the shank is formed with a recess on its upper face which defines the forward end of an upstanding lug or hook 22. There are twenty-six of these pawls 20 just as there are twenty-six of the disks 17. These pawls are supported bymeans of transverse bars 23 formed with recesses 2 1 between which the pawls 20 operate and are guided.

Preferably the face of each ratchet wheel 19 carries a disk 25 which also acts as a guide for the pawl 20. Operating through the slot 14 is a tubular shaft 26 adapted as will be explained, to rotate in suitable bearings and having a portion of it many-sided to engage with the many-sided central aperture of a toothed wheel 27. This toothed wheel operates on a rack 28 which extends transversely of the compartment 13. The projecting end of the shaft 26 carries upon it a disk or wheel 29 whereby the shaft 26 ma be rotated, and also operatively carried on this shaft, as will hereafter appear, is a pointer 30 which projects out through the slot let and extends upward so that it is in conjunction with the line of letters above the slot 1 1-. Thus it will be seen that as the dial or finger wheel 29 is rotated in one directi n or the other, the wheel 27 engaging the rack 28 will cause the tubular shaft to move to one end of the slot 14 or the other and thus bring the pointer 30 in conjunction with any one of the several letters indicated upon the face of the box. The shaft is supported by means of a channel-shaped guide 31 slotted in its bottom so that the gear wheel 27 projects through the bottom of the slide to engage the rack 28 and it is upon this slide 31 that the pointer 30 is mounted.

Disposed for rectilinear movement within the tubular shaft 26 is an operating member 32 having at its outer end a head 33 which is disposed upon the exterior of the dial or finger wheel 29 at the middle thereof. The opposite end of this operating member 32 extends beyond the sleeve or tubular shaft 26 and is provided with a downwardly. extending bill 3 1. This bill is adapted to enany one of the hooks 22. A spring 35, which at one end is connected to the shank of the member 32 and at the other bears against the guide 31, acts to resist the retraction of this member 32. i

It will be obvious now that if the actuating member 32 be shifted into conjunction with any particular hook 22 and then be pulled longitudinally against the action of the spring 35 that the hook 21 on the'pawl 20 will engage one of the ratchet teeth of a ratchet wheel 19 and that the pull upon the member 32 will cause a one-step rotation of the corresponding disk 17, which will carry the lug 18 which was before projectingupward through a' twelfth of a turn so that the lug no longer will project upward. A second stop, however, will carry the next succeeding lug to its uppermost position and another pull will turn the disk 17 so as to carry this lug out of its operative position, and so one pull of the member 20 will turn the disk 17 with which it is operatively engaged so as to carry a lug 18 to its uppermost position and the next succeeding pull will shift the disk 17 to carry the lug 18 to an inoperative position and so on, and the particular disk 17 which is so operated will depend upon the position of the member 32.

The partition 36 which divides the compartment 13 from the compartment within vhich the drawer 10 is operated is provided with a plurality of locking latches designated 37, there being as many of these locking latches as there are disks 17 and each of these latches having an upwardly projecting tooth 33 adapted to engage in the groove 15 of the safe deposit box, these teeth 38 pro- "ecting up through a slot or slots formed in the partition 36. 7 These locking latches are formed of resilient material so that the tooth 's normally withdrawn, but these teeth are disposed immediately above the corresponding disks 17 so that as these disks are turned and one of the lugs comes beneath the corresponding member 37, this tooth will be forced upward and behind the bar 15. 'il iusgif there are three disks turned in position with the lugs 18 extending upward, it is obvious that three of these looking latches will be disposed in engagement with the transverse cross bar and that if it be desired to release the drawer it is only necessary to rotate the member 29 to carry the operating member 32 opposite one of these disks, then pull the operating member outward, thus turning this disk to its inonerative position, releasing the correspond ing latch, and shift this operating member to a second position where it will operatively engage a second disk and shift that to its inoperative position, and then do the same with the third disk, which will retrac all of the three latches. The shifting of the several members 17 through one-twelfth of a revolution will, of course, carry the lugs out of their position immediately below the several latches and thus all of the latches will be retracted by the resilience of the latches themselves and the drawer will be capable of being opened.

Preferably letters are used with which the indicator is adapted to be adjusted for the reason that it is relatively easy for travelers to take their initials as the combination to which the indicator may be adjusted, or if the given name is relatively short they can take their given name and operate five of the latches, for instance, or more or any number up to twenty-six and a burglar will have to know or guess at all of the several letters before he can retract the proper latches. Thus, in order to be certain of openingthe drawer he would have to go through all the twenty-six combinations and if certain of these disks, as would be the case, were turned to their inoperative position. then pulling on these particular latches would cause these disks to turn to their operative or locking position so that thus it will be seen that unless the burglar knows the letters which have been used as the combination, it is practically impossible to unlock the drawer. Inasmuch as people are forgetful and oftentimes forget just exactly what initials they have used for the purpose of making the combination, I provide means whereby the conductor or other person in authority may, by the use of a master key, release the look. This means I will now describe.

Each of the disks 17 between the lugs 18 is formed with inwardly extending, somewhat concave recesses 39, and mounted upon the end walls of the compartment 12 in any suitable manner is a transversely extending shaft it), the middle portion of which is extended radially outward or is in the form of an elongated crank shaft having a length greater than the total space occupied by the disks '18 placed side by side. The middle portion of this shaft is designated 41. The

shaft carries upon it. a beveled gear wheel 1-2 which may be in the form of a sector, and coacting with this beveled gear wheel is a beveled gear wheel 48 mounted upon a longitudinally extending shaft std, it being understood that the gear wheel -13 might also he in the form of a sector. It will be seen from Figure 10 that the shaft 40 is not disposed concentrically to the shaft 16 but is eccentrically disposed with relation to this shaft so that the cranked portion 41 of the shaft i0 is normally disposed at the point a in Figure 10, and it will be seen from this ligure that one of the humps 18, which hump is in this figure dcsigi'iated 7), lies in the path of moven'lcnt of this elongated crank shaft ll and when this crank shaft is rotated in one direction the longitudinally extending bar or crank shaft will engage all those I piotuberant portions 18 which are disposed in its path and will carry those protuberant portions around to a position 0 in Figure 10, in which position none of the protuberances 18 on any one of the disks will be disposed beneath a latch 37 and thus all of the latches will be unlocked.

The shaft is intended to be key-operated and I have illustrated for this purpose a barrel to rotatably mounted at the forward end of the casing as, for instance, down in one corner of the casing and having a key opening upon the face of the easing. This lock may be of any suitable character as, for instance, the ordinary pin or cylinder lock, and by inserting the key and giving it a turn the gear 42 will be turned through a sufficient are to rotate the disks which were in looking position into their unlocking position. limited to this particular means for shifting the disks into their unlocking position, as other means might be used for this purpose, it being suliicient that key operated means he provided whereby those disks, and those disks only, which are previously disposed in a locking position, shall be turned through one-twelfth of a circle to release the latches.

It is desirable to give as much support to the member 32 as possible and hold this member 32 when it is in operative position exactly in line with the rear end of a pawl 20 and to prevent any retraction of the operating member unless this operating member 32 is exactly in line with a pawl 20. To this end 1 construct this operating member 32 as illustrated in Figure 12, so that its inner end is notched at 4L5. Rear ward of this notch 45 the shank of the member is cut away on each side so as to form a medially disposed. upwardly projecting rih 4:6 and this rib operates through a transversely extending guide bar a7 formed upon its under margin with a pin- I do not wish to be rality of notches 48, there being one notch for each lettervof the alphabet or for each of the, several pawls 20. These notches 48 are just Wide enough to permit the rib 46 to pass when the rib 46 is in line with the notch 28. Each notch 4:8 is directly rearward of and in line with one of the pawls 2 and, therefore, it follows that unless the operatingmember 32 is exactly in line with the pawl with its hook 3 f properly engaged .witlrthe hook 22 that the operating member cannotbe retracted. Therefore, it is impossible to shift the member 32 so as to only partially engage a hook, and inas much as the member 32 when operated is guided by a notch this member 32 will not bend under the strain and possibly miss its engagement or lose its engagement with the proper pawl. The bar i7 is, of course, adapted to be engaged with the side walls of the compartment 12 in any suitable manner.

The operation of this device will be obvious from whathas gone before. After the safe depositdrawer is closed, the knob 29 is given a rotation suflicient to carry the pointer to one of the particular letters selected as, for instance, the letter F. When the pointer is at theletter F, the knob on the actuating member -26 is pulled outward, which turns the disk corresponding to the letter F through one-twelfth of a circle, carrying a lug into engagement with the corresponding latch, that is, forcing this latch up behind the bar 15. If other letters are designed to be used as, for instance, the letters FBVV, the knob 29 is turned until the pointer 30*is at B and the corresponding disk is actuated in the same manner, the actuating member 32 being turned in each case to its zero position by the spring 35. If then it is desiredto use the letter W, the knob is turned until the pointer 30 is carried to the letter W and the operation repeated. The knob 29 may be then turned to any neutral position. Thereafter when it is desired to open the drawer it is necessary that the pointer shall be carried to the letters FBlV, though not necessarily in the order named, and the actuating member each time pulled out so as to rotate the correspondingdisk to carry the lug thereon into inoperative position. lVhen all of the latches have been withdrawn, obvious ly the drawer may be withdrawn. If the combination is forgotten, the conductor or other person in authority inserts his key into the keyhole of the lock and retracts all of the projected-latches.

I'claim:

1. A lockingdevice of the character described including a series of latches, a series of disks each having a series of lugs each engageable with the corresponding latch and when engaged shifting the latch to a locking position, andsingle means for selectively giving a step by step movement to any one of the disks independently of any other disk to carry its lugs successively into or outv of operative engagement with the corresponding latch.

2. A locking device including a series of latches, a series of independently shiftable members each having a series of lugs thereon engageable with a corresponding latch, and single means for selectively giving a shiftingmovement to any one of the members to carry its lugs into or out of engagement with the corresponding latch.

3. A locking device including a series of latches, a series of disks mounted upon a common shaft but independently rotatable with relation to each other, each having a series of lugs engageable with the corresponding latch to shift said latch and hold it in operativeposition, and single means shiftableinto operative position with relation to each disk and retractable to cause a step by step movement of the correspond ing disk in one direction to thereby shift the disk so as to carry a lug into or out of operative relation to its own latch.

l. A locking device including a series of latches normally urged out of latching position, a series of disks, one for each latch, each disk having a series of radially projecting lugs engageable with the latch to intermittently shift the latch into operative position and hold it in this position, a single actuatingmember movable parallel to the axis of the disks and retractable to cause a circular movement of the selected disk sufiicient to carry a lug thereof into or out of operative relation to the latch, and means for manually shifting the member parallel to the axis of the disks, a series of indices extending parallel to the plane of movement of said member, and a pointer movable with said member into relation to any of said indices.

A- locking device including a series of latches urged out of locking position, a series of disks mounted for rotation on a common axis and disposed one in conjunction with each other, each disk having a series oflugs adapted to engage the corresponding latch and shift the latch into its operative locking position and hold it in this'position, means for shifting the disks including a single member movable parallel to the axis of the disks and reciprocatable to give the disk with which it is temporarily associated a circular movement to bring a lug into or out of engagement with the corresponding latch, a carrier forsaid member movable parallel to the axis of the disks, a gear wheel mounted upon the car rier, a rack with which the gear wheel engagL fixed member having thereon a series of indices, and a pointer carried by Ill) hold' it there, a ratchet wheel associated with each disk and having ratchet teeth, a

' longitudinally movable pawl associated with each ratchet wheel and having a tooth at one end engageable with the ratchet teeth and having a hook at the opposite end, an ctnatlng member movable parallel to the axis of the disks and having a hook engagthe hook of the pawl, said actuating member being movable rectilinearly to exert a pull upon the pawl, a carrier for the actuating member, a tubular guide through which the actuating member slides and mounted in said carrier, a gear wheel on the tubular guide, a rack with which the gear wheel is adapted to engage, the tubular member being rotatable to thereby shift the carrier and the actuating member parallel to the, axis of the disks, a slotted member through which the tubular member and actuating member project and having on its face a series of indices, and a pointer attached to the carrier, extending out through the slot, and having its extremity associated with said indices whereby to indicate the position of the actuating member.

7. A safe deposit box including a casing, a receptacleremovable from and insertible into the casing, a series of latches each movable into latching engagement with the receptacle but urged out of such engagement, a series of latch operating disks, one for each latch, and each having a lug adapted to engage the latch and shift it to operative position and hold it there, means for selectively shifting said disks including an operating member shiftable in a line parallel to the axis of the disks to bring it into operative relation to any one of the disks and shiftable longitudinally to cause a movement of the disk which will bring a lug into or out of engagement with the corresponding latch, the front plate of the casing having a slot through which said operating member extends, a carrier supported within the casing behind said slot and supporting the actuating member from movement along the slot, and a pointer extending out through the slot and associated with a series of indices on the face of said front plate.

8. A safe deposit box including a casing, a receptacle removable from and insertible into the casing, the casing below said receptacle having a longitudinally extending slot, a series of indices above said slot, a transverse member carried by the bottom of the receptacle, a series of latches mounted in the top of the ca ing below said member, urged out of on; .gement with the member, but movable up into locking engagement therewith, a series of latch operating disks disposed on a common axis, one for each latch, and each having a series of lugs adapted to engage the corresponding latch and when ongaged therewith shift it to operative posi' tion and hold it there a series of latch wheels, one for each disk, a series of pawls, one for each ratchet wheel, the pawls being mounted for reciprocating movement and each having a tooth at one end engageable with the corresponding ratchet wheel, the opposite end of the pawl being hooked, an actuating member operatively supported within the casing for movement parallel to the axis of the shaft and having a tooth adapted to engage behind the hook of any one of the pawls. a tubular rotatable member within which the actuating member is carried, the actuating member having a head disposed exterior to the exterior end of the tubular member and the tubular member projecting through the slot in the front plate, a carrier for the tubular member. supports for the carrier extending parallel to the slot, a gear wheel mounted upon the tubular member, a rack with which the gear wheel engages extending parallel to the slot, the tubular member having a head whereby it may be rotated to thereby shift the carrier, and an index pointer mounted upon the carrier and extending out through said slot and into conjunction with said indices.

9. A safe deposit box including a casing, a receptacle removable from and insertible into the casing, a series of latches each movable into latching engagement with the receptacle but urged out of such engagement, a series of latch ope 'ating disks, one for each latch, and each having a lug adapted to engage the latch and shift it to operative position and hold it there, means for selectively shifting said disks including an operating member shiftable in a line parallel to the axis of the disks to bring it into operative relation to any one of the disks and shiftahle longitudinally to cause a movement of the disk which will bring a lug into or out of engagement with the corresponding latch. the front plate of the casing having a slot through which said operating member ox tends, a carrier supported within the casing behind said slot and supporting the actu' ating member from movement along the slot, a pointer extending out through the slot and associated with a series of indiccs on the face of said front plate, and means for withdrawing all of the projected latches including a key-actuated member.

10. A. locking device of the character described including a series of latches, a series of disks each having a series of lugs engaged members each having a series of lugs thereon engageable with a corresponding latch, a sin gle means forselectlvely giving a shifting movement to any one of the members to carry its lugs into or out of engagement with the corresponding latch,.andkey operated means forcausing the release of all of the projected latches.

12. A locking device including a series of latches, a seriesof disks mounted upon a common shaft but independently rotatable with relation to each other, each having a series of lugs engageable with the corresponding' latch to shift saidlatch and hold it in operative locking position, means shiftable into operative position with relation to each disk and retractable to cause a step by step movement of the corresponding disk in one direction to thereby, shift the disk so as to, carry a lug-thereon into or out of opera ative relation to its own latch, and key oper ated means for causing the release of all of the projected'latches including a member extending transversely of the several disks and movable in adirection to shift'all of those disks which are in operative locking position into unlocking position.

13. A.locking device including a series of latches, a series of disks mounted upon a commonshaft but independently rotatable with relation to each other, each having a series of lugs engageable with the corresponding latch to shift said latch and hold it in operative lockingposition, means shift able into operative position with relation, to each disk and retractableto cause a step. by step movement of the. corresponding disk in one; direction to thereby shift the disk so operative relation to its own latch, means for shifting all of those disks which were in lock-ing position into latch-releasingposition including a shaft disposed eccentrically to, the axis of theseries of disks and having a cranked portion extending parallel to the edgefaces of the several disks, said cranked 1301'.

tion normally being disposed out of the path of movement of theylugs'on the disks but being shiftable to engage the lugs-at one point in their movementandshift the-en gagedlugs totherebyshift those; disks .hav-

- ing lugs inlooking position into unlocking position, and key actuated'means for oscillating said shaft.

14. A locking device including a series of latches, a series of disks mounted upon a common shaft and independently rotatable with relation to eachother, each having a series of lugs engageable with a corresponding latch to alternately shift said latch into I an operative latching position or permit the retraction of the latch, a single member shift-able parallel to the axis of all of the disks and shiftable at right angles to the axis of all of the disks and operatively en- I gagealole with each of said disks to cause a step by step movement of the correspondlng disk in one direction as the latch is retracted, and means for preventing locking the operating member from retraction unless it is'fully and operatively engaged with one-ofsaid disks.

. '15. A locking device of the character described including a series of latches urged out of locking position, a series of disks mounted for rotation on a common axis, each disk having a series of lugs adapted to engage the corresponding latch and shift the latch into its operative position and. hold it in this position, means for shifting the disks including a series of pawls. extending at right angles to the axis of the disks and operatively engaged each with one of the disks, operatingmeans for-the disks including an operating member movable parallel to'the axis of the disks and engageable with the several pawls and retractable to retract the pawl to give the disk with which it is temporarily associated a circular movement to bring a lug into or out ofengagement with the corresponding latch, a carrier for said operating member movable parallel to the axis of the disk, and means for preventing retraction of said operating member unless it be in full engagement with the corresponding pawl.

'16. A locking device of the character described including a series of latches urged out of locking position, a series of disks mounted for'rotation on a common axis, each 'disk having a. series of lugs adapted to engage the corresponding latch and shift the hlatch into its:operative position and hold it as to carry a lug thereon into or out of eratively engaged each with one of the disks,

operating means for thedisks including an operating member movable parallel to the axis of the disks and engageable with the .severalpawls and retractable to retractthe pawl-and' to give the disk with which it is temporarilyassociated a circular; movement tor bring a ylugv into: or out-of; engagement witlrthe corresponding latch, a carrier fo-r .said; operating member movable parallel to '2.-theraxis1 of; the-.disk,- -andimeans for. prevent ing retraction of said operating member unless it be in full engagement with the corresponding pawl including a bar extending transversely of the path of movement of the operating member and having a series of notches, one for each pawl, the operating member being notched at its point of engagement With the bar, the space between the notches of the bar preventing the retraction of said operating member until the operating 10 member is brought into exact conjunction with the notch in the bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES G. GREGORY. 

